Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A women slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. (Judges 9:54)
The first man who sought to exercise kingship over Israel, and the first real king of Israel, Saul, sought to die similarly (see 1 Sam. 31:3, 4).
That men say not.
The horror of being slain by a woman was not confined to the Hebrews (see chs. 4:9; 5:24-27). The same feeling is expressed in Greek and Roman literature. Abimelech probably feared also lest, mortally wounded as he was, he should fall into the hands of his enemies, who would treat him with insult and torture. Despite all his pains to end his life by other means, Abimelech still did not escape the odium of being slain by a woman (see 2 Sam. 11:21).
Abimelech in his dying moments might well have given consideration to what men thought of his life, for that is the basis on which posterity finally judges a man. Even to this day the matters about which men are most sensitive are often not the basic things of life that really matter. Those who in life consult only their pride and ambition will usually die as they have lived, more solicitous that their reputation should be preserved on earth than that their souls be saved from destruction.
His armourbearer.
Military leaders usually had an aide-de-camp or squire as a token of importance as well as to carry the master’s heavy shield and spear when no battle was in progress (see Judges 7:10; 1 Sam. 14:6; 31:4).